Robert Gillo (1841 - 1891)

Robert Gillo was born in the spring of 1841 in Bath, Somerset, to Robert (snr) (son of John Gillo), a manufacturing cutler, and his wife Frances. The family lived at 4 Somerset Buildings Bath. Whilst there,
Robert (snr) marketed a resilvering mixture which was widely advertised until 1845. In 1851, Robert (snr) died.

Robert (jnr) later moved to Bridgwater, and took up residence in Church Street, Eastover in 1861 or 1862. His business as a photographer grew, so that on August 8th. 1865, he removed "to more convenient Premises in Fryern Street". This is now known as 32 Friarn Street.

From the Bridgwater Mercury September 27th 1865

Photography

Robert Gillo

In returning thanks for the uniform kindness and the liberal support which he has received begs to informthe Ladies and Gentlemen of Bridgwater, and the neighbourhood that he has

Removed from Church-Street, to more convenient Premises in Fryern-street.

In his new Establishment all the [modern conveniences of?] Photography have been adopted in sending a complete [indistinct] which might be so disposed that portraits can be taken at all times, and with every certainty of success.

N.B. - A large selection of Views of Bridgwater and its neighbourhood contantly on sale.

Picture Frames of all Descriptons.

He married a local girl, Jane S Cogle, in June 1874, and had a son, Robert Cogle Gillo, born January 1881. At that time, he employed four female and four male assistants. Susan Daubeny Curtis b. 27.8.1865 was living at "Fryern Street Bridgewater Somerset servant to Robert Gillo" in 1881. The family apparently moved away before 1884, and 32 Friarn Street became Mr York's Lantern Slide factory.

Robert Gillo died in Bath in 1891, aged 49; his wife in June 1897.

R C Gillo moved to Poole, married Kathleen Lilian M Seward in April 1902, and died on April 18 1916[0] in the First World War. He is buried in St James's Cemetery, Bath.
A picture of his grave is here.

Robert Gillo was principally a photographer, though he later contributed some scientific papers.

The photographs are several types. There are churches, country houses, landscapes, and portraits.
The majority of the last seem to be carte-de-visite.

Gillo produced a number of pattern books.
One such of West Somerset views is the collection of Keith V Strickland, [1] who has written a short illustrated monograph.
A few relating to West Somerset are available online.

Another pattern book, of Cheddar, is in Dr Cattermole's collection. [2] The Somerset Studies Library [3] houses a substantial collection of Gillo's photographs, as does the Blake Museum.[4] There are a few examples in the Somerset Record Office.[5]

The small portraits, called carte-de-visite, have been classified into three types by David Helmore.[6]

Gillo exhibited a Stereograph English Life and Scenery (No. 467) at the 1871 exhibition of the Royal Photographic Society[8]

In a paper of June 19, 1878 by Sylvanus P Thompson (Bristol) entitled
"Magnetic Figures illustrating Electrodynamic Relations",[9]
iron filings were used to indicate patterns. "I am indebted to Mr Robert Gillo, of Bridgwater, for the admirable photographic copies of the various figures."

Gillo published a few zoological papers, particularly on beetles.

In The Mouth-Organs and other Characteristics of the British Geodephaga[10] he gives his process for mounting beetles and other large insects. He "procures, for instance, a common ground-beetle, perhaps half-an-inch long. This he places in a test-tube and adds Liquor Potassce, full strength. Here it is steeped until the solution becomes darkened, when it is poured off and fresh added. Here it remains for ten days or two weeks, when the insect is carefully transferred to a dish filled with distilled water. With one camel's-hair brush the insect is held steady, while with another brush, the body is pressed upon with a kind of rolling motion, until the contents of the abdomen are driven out. The insect is now transferred to clean water, and left for an hour or so, when the squeezing process with the brushes is repeated. By repeating this process, the whole of the contents of the viscera can be removed without the least injury to any of the internal organs. "

In 1887, he wrote a paper on The External Anatomy of the Dor-beetle[11]. "There are several species of Dor-Beetles, some of which are not so common as others, but the one chosen is that which abounds, I believe, everywhere, and most certainly in Somersetshire."

Reference to a brief obituary is given the Biographical Dictionary of The Coleopterist. [12]